Initial Separation Surgery Of Jaga-Balia Begins At AIIMS

New Delhi: A team of 40 super-specialist surgeons anesthetists, including experts from Japan today began separation surgery of conjoined twins Jaga and Balia from Kandhamal district at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Reports said that though the most complicated operation to be conducted in different phases may continue for about 50 hours, the initial phase of surgery which was undertaken today will take around 7 to 8 hours.

A 40-member team of doctors including neuro surgeons, general surgeons, paediatricians, plastic surgeons and cardiologists has been formed for the rarest of rare surgery. The AIIMS authorities have also engaged an expert from Japan in the operation.

With the assistance of the state government, the twins along with their parents were shifted to the AIIMS on July 13 after the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack had advised the parents to consult AIIMS, New Delhi.

The state government has assured to facilitate their treatment and already provided Rs. 1 crore to the family members of Jaga and Balia while the Kandhamal district administration gave Rs 1 lakh for their surgery.

Jaga and Balia are a little over two and half years old and faced danger to their survival as they were growing in age.
Born to Bhuan Kanhar and Puspanjali Kanhar of Milipada in Kandhamal district, the twins were originally known as Honey and Singh and were later renamed Jaga-Balia by famous neuro specialist Dr Ashok Mohapatra , Head of the Neuro Department at AIIMS, New Delhi who was the Director of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar recently. Dr Ashok Mohapatra is also a part of the 40-member team of experts conducting the surgery today.